Managing Phosphorus In Terrestrial Ecosystem: A Review (original) (raw)

Increasing human population placed stress on the environment, as well as shifting in land use pattern to increase food production, significantly influence the dynamics of soil organic matter and associated nutrients (phosphorus) in terrestrial ecosystems. This review is based on the published work carried out in recent years and critically examines how the P cycling occurs within different terrestrial ecosystems, possible mechanisms involved in its transformation from one form to another and gaps to be investigated. In terrestrial ecosystems P mainly occurs as phosphate ion; generally precipitated with Ca, Al and Fe under varying pH conditions and become relatively immobile in soils. In agricultural fields, change in inorganic (Pi) and organic (Po) phosphorus are attributed due to fertilization and tillage while in forest and grasslands it is the matter of litter addition and its decomposition by microbes. Afforestation of grassland enhances the mineralization of organic matter and ...